Summer in Denver means fun events, such as music festivals, beer festivals, car shows, and sporting events. From festivals and fairs to expos and runs, there are dozens of things to do in Denver, see and explore what’s happening this weekend.
Five Points Jazz Festival
This free jazz festival on Saturday celebrates the history of Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. The neighborhood was once known as the Harlem of the West and was home to several jazz clubs. This family-friendly street festival kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday with a parade down Welton Street led by grand marshals, Daphne Rice Allen, Gene Bass, Terri Gentry and featuring Otone Brass Band. Fifty bands will be playing live music on 11 stages throughout the day on Welton between 26th and 29th streets. To download a festival map or see the full 2019 schedule of musicians, click here.
Spread the Word Music Festival
Spread the Word Music Festival’s 7th annual extravaganza features a diverse selection of Colorado’s favorite bands and DJs across eight different stages. The three-day festival in downtown Denver offers live music at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and Other Side on Friday, Denver Coliseum on Saturday and Levitt Pavilion on Sunday. Styles of music this weekend include rock, jam, funk, electronic, reggae, folk and every kind of fusion in between. The 2019 lineup includes BoomBox, Wookiefoot, Mike Love, The Werks, A-Mac & The Height, Bill & Jill Nershi, The Jauntee, Yak Attack, Analog Son, Gasoline Lollipops, Chris Karns, Rob Drabkin, Aaron Bordas, Mama Magnolia, Brothers of Brass, Float Like A Buffalo, Pickin’ on the Dead, The ReMINDers, Eldren, Chewy&Bach, Future Joy, Collidoscope, Dog City Disco, Metafonics, Shuj Roswell, the Spread The Word Family Band (featuring members of SunSquabi + Thievery Corporation + Pretty Lights Live Band + String Cheese Incident) and more. For a complete schedule and tickets, visit SpreadtheWordFest.com.
Colfax Marathon
This weekend’s Colfax Marathon is the ultimate urban tour of Denver. The race, which begins and ends at Denver’s City Park, runs through Broncos Stadium (twice), Denver Fire Station No. 1, along rivers, lakes, bridges, and historic neighborhoods. The Colfax Marathon is also a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. The Bellco Colfax 5K begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with a marathon, half marathon, urban 10 miler and relays taking place on Sunday. To register and learn about all the races, visit RunColfax.org.
ROAD CLOSURES | Expect delays near Colfax Marathon this weekend
Beer Here!
DENVER — Beer Here!, the newest exhibit at History Colorado, explores Colorado’s brewing past, present and future. Featuring beer-brewing equipment from then to now, a massive bottle-breaker from Prohibition days, the nation’s first aluminum beer cans, the exhibit offers a wealth of artifacts from Colorado’s hoppy history. After viewing the exhibit, museum guests can enjoy a sampler tray of historic beer styles. Beer Here! opens Saturday at History Colorado and runs through Aug. 9. Grab your passes at HistoryColorado.org.
9news Shred-a-Thon
Pack up your unneeded receipts, bank statements and other documents and bring them to the 2019 Shred-a-thon on Saturday. The Shred-a-thon is an annual fundraiser for the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers program. For a donation to help fight crime in your community, you can have up to three legal-sized paper boxes or kitchen sized garbage bags of personal documents shredded on the spot. The trucks will start shredding paper at 6 a.m. on Saturday at the 9NEWS Studios on Speer and Logan in downtown Denver. Six other locations will begin shredding at 7 a.m. and continues through noon.
Park Hill Art Festival
Art festival season kicks off this weekend with the Park Hill Arts Festival. The 6th annual festival in the heart of Denver’s historic Park Hill neighborhood is a juried fine art and fine craft show on the grounds of the Park Hill Masonic Lodge on Montview Boulevard between Dahlia and Eudora Street. Featuring terrific paintings, jewelry, sculptures, pottery, music, food and more, the festival is free and open to the public.
Nourished Festival
Denver’s National Western Complex will be home to this weekend’s Nourished Festival – the Gluten-Free, Allergy and Special Diet Festival. Formerly the Gluten-Free and Allergen Friendly Expo, the event is an outstanding resource for those living a gluten-free, allergen-friendly or special diet lifestyle. With five unique zones – Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Keto & Plant-Based – the festival offers hundreds of products, brands, coupons and educational classes in a family-friendly setting. The Nourished Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday and tickets are available online.
